Explore every episode of the podcast The Blue Water Running Podcast
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Top Moments: Season 2, Ep. 30 | 31 Dec 2025 | 00:36:27 | |
As 2025 wraps up and we finish another incredible year of local athletics, let's take a moment to look back on the highlights and achievements of the Blue Water Area and how athletes have shown us what it means to push limits, break barriers, and strive for greatness. We'll be shining the spotlight on the standout performances, record-breaking moments, and inspiring stories from cross country and track and field in our community this year. Once again, thank you so much for tuning into the Blue Water Running podcast. It has been an extreme joy and privilege to be a part of such amazing accomplishments across our area this year. If you would like to listen to more of the athlete interviews featured in this episode, you can tune in to prior episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and on the website at bluewaterrunning.org. A very special thank you to this year’s sponsors, Elite Feet of Port Huron and Verlinde Insurance, who have helped make coverage possible. Thank you also to each and every one of you for listening, reading, and subscribing: you are the reason Blue Water Running exists. I wish you a Happy New Year and look forward to seeing what 2026 brings! Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Abigail Vanderkooi: Season 2, Episode 29 | 08 Dec 2025 | 00:50:40 | |
Philippians 4:13 - “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” GVSU runner Abby Vanderkooi is back for another episode of the pod and has a great perspective to share. If you haven’t heard her first interview, I highly encourage you to take a listen, as she details her incredibly inspiring story of recovering from disordered eating. Abby was a cross country state champion for Muskegon Western Christian High School all four years of high school, with a 5K best of 16:48, and on the track had bests of 10:29 in the 3200, 4:57 in 1600, and placed third in the nation at the 2018 Foot Locker National XC Meet. However, despite her amazing successes, Abby struggled through some very dark years as she battled an eating disorder and the recurrent injuries that plagued her throughout the majority of her collegiate career. She firmly believes the most important thing in life isn’t JUST running - it’s being a healthy, balanced person with running as a part of her life. She is an outspoken advocate for transparency surrounding the stigma of eating disorders and recovery for people struggling with the same issues, particularly through her Instagram account, Running on Ice Cream. You can take a listen to her story on Season 1, Episode 20. We will catch up with Abby, hear her perspective on her latest accomplishments, and discuss what goals she has in mind for the future. She will also remind you to stay consistent and healthy, keep your love for the sport, don’t compare yourself to others, and believe that you are strong and capable, no matter where you are in your sports journey. IF YOU OR ANYONE YOU CARE ABOUT IS STRUGGLING WITH AN EATING DISORDER, PLEASE REACH OUT AND GET THE HELP YOU NEED. Talk to a trusted friend, teammate, coach, doctor, or anyone who can point you in the right direction to begin your journey back to physical AND mental health. You can also find resources through the National Eating Disorders Association website. https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/get-help/. You deserve to be the best version of yourself you can be, for now and in the future. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Madelyn Barkley: Season 2, Episode 20 | 08 Sep 2025 | 00:17:17 | |
Our episode guest is Madelyn Barkley, a sophomore at Cros-Lex High School. Madelyn had a great freshman season for the Pioneers last fall, dropping from a 23:01 to a 21:08 by the end of her first high school season. She was part of her team’s top five scorers, helping them earn a team regional qualification to the D2 state finals. Madelyn recently won the Skippers Invitational at Goodells Park over Labor Day weekend in a time of 21:13, then dropped her PR again at the Algonac Muskrat Classic on Sept. 6, placing sixth in another PR of 20:44. She also dropped her mile and two-mile times significantly during the track season, along with running a relay leg on the 3200-meter relay team, which won the Reese Invite and the BWAC League Meet. Madelyn’s favorite quote is by Mica Wood: “Be consistent. A lot of people are looking for the secret thing to get them better, and I think that the best thing to get you where you want to be is by showing up every day.” Thank you so much for listening to the podcast: please share an episode to help spread the word about Blue Water Running’s mission, which is to feature and celebrate the achievements of high school and collegiate cross country and track/field athletes from our area. You can also subscribe and leave a review. You can find The Blue Water Running Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and other major media players. You can also ask Alexa to play The Blue Water Running Podcast. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, along with athlete and meet reports and photography on the website at bluewaterrunning.org. Coverage of Blue Water Running is sponsored in part by Elite Feet of Port Huron. If you need running shoes, spikes, or apparel, they have a friendly and knowledgeable staff to help you find the right fit and have spent years supporting local athletes in the Blue Water Area. They are located at 327 Huron Ave in downtown Port Huron. Verlinde Insurance, located in Richmond, Michigan, is also a supporter of coverage on Blue Water Running. Training as an athlete teaches you resilience and preparation. Apply those lessons to your life with their insurance plans. Be ready for anything with them by your side. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Samantha Langolf: Season 2, Episode 19 | 16 Aug 2025 | 00:13:49 | |
Our episode guest is Samantha Langolf, a senior at Port Huron Northern High School. Sam had a breakout season for the Huskies last fall, dropping from a 21:23 in her first meet to a 19:17 PR at the state finals to become the fifth-fastest girl in school history; she returns this season with the second-fastest time from 2024 in the Blue Water Area. Langolf and her teammate Haley Sharp also helped lead PHN to a second-place finish in the MAC Division Championships. Sam also ran PRs in the 800, 1600, and 3200 during the spring track season, and was runner-up in both the mile and two-mile at the Blue Water Meet of Champions. Samantha’s accomplishments are noteworthy in and of themselves, but are all the more impressive when you realize she left her first official high school cross country practice as a freshman in an ambulance. She passed out, and after the initial assumption that she’d had a seizure, she was unable to run until doctors ran tests and figured out what was going on medically. A University of Michigan heart specialist diagnosed her with POTS, which stands for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, a condition where the heart rate increases excessively when standing. It's more common in women, especially between the ages of 15 and 50. While the exact causes are still being researched, POTS can sometimes develop after viral infections, surgery, or trauma: experts aren’t sure what causes it. POTS is a form of dysautonomia, which means it's a disorder of the autonomic nervous system, the part of your nervous system that controls involuntary functions like heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion. The body has trouble regulating blood pressure and heart rate from lying down to standing, which can lead to a significant increase in heart rate without a corresponding drop in blood pressure. Some of the symptoms include lightheadedness or dizziness, fainting or near-fainting, fatigue, heart palpitations, nausea, headaches, brain fog, exercise intolerance, gastrointestinal issues, and more, so you can see how challenging this disorder would be for anyone, let alone a distance runner. Samantha will share her experiences in running, her perspective on this disorder, how she maintains her health and focus in competition, and what her goals are for this season as a Blue Water Area athlete. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, along with athlete and meet reports and photography on the website at bluewaterrunning.org. Coverage of Blue Water Running is sponsored in part by Elite Feet of Port Huron. If you need running shoes, spikes, or apparel, they have a friendly and knowledgeable staff to help you find the right fit and have spent years supporting local athletes in the Blue Water Area. They are located at 327 Huron Ave in downtown Port Huron. Verlinde Insurance, located in Richmond, Michigan, is a new supporter of coverage on Blue Water Running. Training as an athlete teaches you resilience and preparation. Apply those lessons to your life with their insurance plans. Be ready for anything with them by your side. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Reese Powers: Season 2, Episode 18 | 11 Aug 2025 | 00:26:16 | |
This episode features Reese Powers, a 2022 Marysville High School grad and recent Michigan State University cross country/track athlete. Reese is a very accomplished runner: in high school, she was the 2021 Division 2 state champion in the 400-meter dash with a PR of 57.71, was all-state in the 400, 4x200, and 4x400 several times over her career, along with going four-for-four as regional champion her junior year in the 400, 800, 4x200, and 4x400 and undefeated in any event she entered in the region, MAC Gold, and the Blue Water Meet of Champs. During her time as a Spartan, she dropped her high school 800 best from 2:18 to 2:12, ran a 5:00 flat indoor mile, and took a cross country PR of 19:37 to a 5K best of 17:54. Reese is here to give us a perspective into life as a D1 athlete in a Big Ten program, her point of view on the implications of the new NCAA roster cap rules following the House v. NCAA settlement, how it has affected her personally, and give us insight into her personal life as a Blue Water Area runner. Thank you so much for listening to the podcast: please share an episode to help spread the word about Blue Water Running’s mission, which is to feature and celebrate the achievements of high school and collegiate cross country and track/field athletes from our area. You can also subscribe and leave a review. You can find The Blue Water Running Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and other major media players. You can also ask Alexa to play The Blue Water Running Podcast. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, along with athlete and meet reports and photography on the website at bluewaterrunning.org. Coverage of Blue Water Running is sponsored in part by Elite Feet of Port Huron. If you need running shoes, spikes, or apparel, they have a friendly and knowledgeable staff to help you find the right fit and have spent years supporting local athletes in the Blue Water Area. They are located at 327 Huron Ave in downtown Port Huron. Verlinde Insurance, located in Richmond, Michigan, is a new supporter of coverage on Blue Water Running. Training as an athlete teaches you resilience and preparation. Apply those lessons to your life with their insurance plans. Be ready for anything with them by your side. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Leo Bearss: Season 2, Episode 17 | 01 Aug 2025 | 00:33:32 | |
Our episode guest is Leo Bearrs, a senior at Yale High School. While local Blue Water Area athletes might recognize Leo from around the BWAC conference meets, what they might not know is that Leo is also a racewalker and steeplechaser. Leo recently won the Michigan USATF Junior Olympic Championships 3000-meter racewalk and 2K steeplechase in Olivet on June 21. He also won the regional championship in both events in Louisville, Kentucky, in July, qualifying for the USATF Junior Olympics National Meet at Savannah State University in Georgia. Before the heat index of 110 degrees-plus suspended the meet due to a heat delay for other athletes, Leo was able to finish 16th in the steeplechase and 4th in the racewalk. His PR in the racewalk is 19:37, and in the steeplechase, it’s 7:29. We’ll learn what racewalking and steeplechasing are all about, how they differ from running, and interesting and unique facts about these events. We’ll also get to know Leo personally as an athlete, as well. Thank you so much for listening to the podcast: please share an episode to help spread the word about Blue Water Running’s mission, which is to feature and celebrate the achievements of high school and collegiate cross country and track/field athletes from our area. You can also subscribe and leave a review. You can find The Blue Water Running Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and other major media players. You can also ask Alexa to play The Blue Water Running Podcast. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, along with athlete and meet reports and photography on the website at bluewaterrunning.org. Coverage of Blue Water Running is sponsored in part by Elite Feet of Port Huron. If you need running shoes, spikes, or apparel, they have a friendly and knowledgeable staff to help you find the right fit and have spent years supporting local athletes in the Blue Water Area. They are located at 327 Huron Ave in downtown Port Huron. Verlinde Insurance, located in Richmond, Michigan, is a new supporter of coverage on Blue Water Running. Training as an athlete teaches you resilience and preparation. Apply those lessons to your life with their insurance plans. Be ready for anything with them by your side. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Luke Bowman: Season 2, Episode 16 | 19 Jul 2025 | 00:41:48 | |
"The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.“ ~ Fyoder Dostoevsky Our guest is Luke Bowman, a recent graduate of Anchor Bay High School. Luke is an accomplished adaptive athlete, competing in track and field at a very competitive level, winning D1 state championships in the 400 meters and shotput for two straight years: he even wheeled a full 5K in 19 minutes at the Macomb County Championships. Since 2023, Luke has been a fixture at MAC Red meets and an advocate for bringing awareness and opportunities to adaptive athletes. For reference, wheelchair athletes participate in seated throws, racing events in specialized chairs, and other adapted field events. In comparison, ambulatory athletes can compete in events like running, jumping, and throwing, potentially using assistive devices as needed; for example, a visually-impaired athlete may have a guide runner. Some of Luke’s accolades include being named the 2024 Sports and Spokes Junior Athlete of the Year, being featured as the Channel 4 WDIV Brag Book Athlete of the Week, and he is an honor roll student, musician, and community volunteer. He’s heading to U of M in the fall as a dual sport athlete for wheelchair basketball and adaptive track & field. Luke will talk to us about his athletic preparation, competition, and advocacy for athletes of all abilities. Thank you so much for listening to the podcast: please share an episode to help spread the word about Blue Water Running’s mission. You can also subscribe and leave a review. You can find The Blue Water Running Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and other major media players. You can also ask your smart speaker to play The Blue Water Running Podcast. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, along with athlete and meet reports and photography on the website at bluewaterrunning.org. Coverage of Blue Water Running is sponsored in part by Elite Feet of Port Huron. If you need running shoes, spikes, or apparel, they have a friendly and knowledgeable staff to help you find the right fit and have spent years supporting local athletes in the Blue Water Area. They are located at 327 Huron Ave in downtown Port Huron. Verlinde Insurance, located in Richmond, Michigan, is a new supporter of coverage on Blue Water Running. Training as an athlete teaches you resilience and preparation. Apply those lessons to your life with their insurance plans. Be ready for anything with them by your side. You can email Noah@verlindeinsurance.com for more information. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Noah Verlinde: Season 2, Episode 15 | 18 Jul 2025 | 00:43:01 | |
Today's episode features a repeat guest, Noah Verlinde. Noah first came on the pod last December in episode #30 to talk about his cross country and track experiences at Saginaw Valley State University and his trip to California to race in the NCAA D2 championship event for the first time. Since then, Noah graduated from SVSU this spring, joined his father in the family business at Verlinde Insurance Agency, and turned his running pursuits to further distances, tackling his first 26.2 miler at the Bayshore Marathon in Traverse City over Memorial weekend. Not only did he finish, but he was the runner-up, taking second in a blistering time of 2:21:30, which is a 5:23-per-mile pace, and easily hit the Boston Marathon qualifying time of 2:55. The winner of the Bayshore Marathon is a pro runner for Gazelle Sports Elite, so Noah has dipped his toes into elite territory, only five minutes off an Olympic Marathon Trials qualifying time in his first-ever attempt at the distance. Noah also won the Volkslaufe half-marathon in Frankenmuth by ten minutes, taking first in 1:09:12. We will chat with Noah about his transition from collegiate runner to marathoner and what his long-distance running future holds. Thank you so much for listening to the podcast: please share an episode to help spread the word about Blue Water Running’s mission, which is to feature and celebrate the achievements of high school and collegiate cross country and track/field athletes from our area. You can also subscribe and leave a review. You can find The Blue Water Running Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and other major media players. You can even ask your smart speaker to play The Blue Water Running Podcast. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, along with athlete and meet reports and photography on the website at bluewaterrunning.org. Coverage of Blue Water Running is sponsored in part by Elite Feet of Port Huron. If you need running shoes, spikes, or apparel, they have a friendly and knowledgeable staff to help you find the right fit and have spent years supporting local athletes in the Blue Water Area. They are located at 327 Huron Ave in downtown Port Huron. Verlinde Insurance, located in Richmond, Michigan, is a new supporter of coverage on Blue Water Running. Training as an athlete teaches you resilience and preparation. Apply those lessons to your life with their insurance plans. Be ready for anything with them by your side. You can email noah@verlindeinsurance.com for more information. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Kate Bennett: Season 2, Episode 14 | 07 Jun 2025 | 00:24:25 | |
This episode features Algonac High School senior Kate Bennett. Kate’s outdoor track and field career just ended in the best way possible: on May 31 at the D3 state finals at Kent City High School, she dropped a massive personal best in the 800, running 2:22.91 to finish sixth and earn All-State honors, her first trip ever to the podium. Kate’s no stranger to the state meet: she is a three-time regional champ and state qualifier in the 800, but her times kept dropping all spring into uncharted territory. Her prior 800 best last year was a 2:34, and in the 1600 her sophomore year it was a 6:26. This year? She ran a 5:42 mile at the Muskrat Classic and claimed the Blue Water Meet of Champions title in the 800 in 2:26, her fastest before the state finals. She also had a successful fall cross-country campaign, taking last year’s PR of 21:40 to a 20:34 and qualifying for the state meet at MIS. Kate will head to SC4 this fall to continue her collegiate running career. Joshua 1:9 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Thank you so much for listening to the podcast: please share an episode to help spread the word about Blue Water Running’s mission, which is to feature and celebrate the achievements of high school and collegiate cross country and track/field athletes from our area. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, along with athlete and meet reports and photos on the website at bluewaterrunning.org. Coverage of Blue Water Running is sponsored in part by Elite Feet of Port Huron. If you need running shoes, spikes, or apparel, they have a friendly and knowledgeable staff to help you find the right fit and have spent years supporting local athletes in the Blue Water Area. They are located at 327 Huron Ave in downtown Port Huron. Verlinde Insurance, located in Richmond, Michigan, is a new supporter of coverage on Blue Water Running. Training as an athlete teaches you resilience and preparation. Apply those lessons to your life with their insurance plans. Be ready for anything with them by your side. You can visit Verlindeinsurance.com or email Noah@Verlindeinsurance.com for more information. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Eli Bickel: Season 2, Episode 13 | 04 Jun 2025 | 00:29:40 | |
Eli Bickel, a North Branch High School junior, joins me to discuss his accomplishments this year in the shot put and discus. Eli earned All-State in the discus by finishing as the runner-up at the D2 state finals on May 31 with a new personal best of 180'-9" and also finished tenth in the shot put in 52’-2.25”. He has had a season of massive improvements: last year, his bests were 47'-11" and 149’, so he’s throwing significantly farther than he did as a sophomore. His shot put best stands at 56’-2” after this season. Eli now holds North Branch school records in both the shot and disc, as well as the Blue Water Area Conference records. “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” - Tim Notke Thank you so much for listening to the podcast: please share an episode to help spread the word about Blue Water Running’s mission, which is to feature and celebrate the achievements of high school and collegiate cross country and track/field athletes from our area. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, along with athlete and meet reports and photos on the website at bluewaterrunning.org. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Colin Boullard: Season 2, Episode 12 | 10 May 2025 | 00:33:39 | |
This episode features St. Clair High School junior Colin Boullard. At the Anchor Bay Invitational on May 2, Colin ran his best of 15.12 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles, a PR by close to half a second and meeting the Division 2 state early qualifying mark of 15.3 seconds. Colin is currently the second-fastest high school boy in the event in the Blue Water Running coverage area behind another D1 EQ hurdler, Jonah Konarz of Anchor Bay. As of the recording of this podcast, he also ranked in the top ten in the state for the event. Colin is also a 300-meter hurdler with a PR of 41.38, which he ran this weekend at the Marysville Invitational, placing first. Colin will give us some insight into his introduction and progression into the hurdling events, how he deals with injuries and setbacks, and what keeps him moving forward to seek improvement each year. I’ll leave you with a quote by Grant Holloway, the 2024 Paris Olympic gold medalist in the 110-meter hurdles and the second-fastest man in history at the event with a personal best of 12.81 seconds, set at the U.S. Olympic Trials on June 26, 2021. He is also a three-time outdoor world champion. In the 60-meter hurdles, Holloway is a three-time world indoor champion and the world indoor record holder with a time of 7.27 seconds set at the 2024 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Thomas Kann: Season 2 Episode 11 | 08 May 2025 | 00:22:10 | |
This episode features North Branch senior Thomas Kann. At the Davison Twilight Classic on May 2, Thomas dropped a huge PR and went sub-50 seconds in the open 400-meter dash, running 49.94 to take second place and hit the early qualifying standard of 50.30 for the D2 state finals. This is only the third time Kann has ever raced the 400 meters in his career, and it will be the first time he takes a trip to the state meet. He is currently the fastest high school boy in the event in the Blue Water Running coverage area, now sitting at number one on the top-ten area performance list by over a second. As of the recording of this episode, he also ranked fifth in the state in the D2 400. After a somewhat heartbreaking regional meet last season, it’s great to see Tommy returning with amazing performances and a bit of a redemption tour. Stay tuned to hear his plans and goals for this season, his thoughts on the 800 meters as well, and get to know him as a Blue Water Area athlete. Thank you so much for listening to the podcast: please share an episode to help spread the word about Blue Water Running’s mission, which is to feature and celebrate the achievements of high school and collegiate cross country and track/field athletes from our area. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, along with athlete and meet reports and photos on the website at bluewaterrunning.org. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Thomas Westphal: Season 2, Episode 28 | 29 Nov 2025 | 00:43:44 | |
"The only thing that I see that is distinctly different about me is: I'm not afraid to die on a treadmill. I will not be outworked, period. You might have more talent than me, you might be smarter than me. But if we get on the treadmill together, there are two things: You're getting off first, or I'm going to die. It's really that simple." In this episode, former Anchor Bay athlete and current MSU Spartan Thomas Westphal is back for his second interview, and wow, a lot has happened since he last came on the pod in June of 2024. If you haven’t heard our first conversation, it’s season 1, episode 14. I encourage you to take a listen, as it gives you more context, where we talked about his debut in the sport in his first cross country race as a high school freshman, running his first 5k in 22:23. Thomas then went on to overcome injuries and obstacles to chase dreams with determination, hard work, guts, and grit and become the most successful runner in Anchor Bay history and one of the best in the state, winning the Midwest Foot Locker cross country regional, a 3200 meter state title, setting multiple school records, and more. Since graduating high school, Thomas redshirted his first year at Michigan State University, training through the 2024-25 school year, and debuted this fall as a collegiate freshman. He immediately made an impact for the Spartans, turning the heads of the Big Ten conference and the NCAA as a whole. He was the Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice and helped MSU place second in the Big Ten Championships (their best finish since 2016), with an 8K PR of 23:25 to finish third overall and the highest-placing freshman. Thomas was later named to the Great Lakes All-Region team in his first attempt at the 10K distance, taking 12th in 30:06, then dropped that PR to a 29:19 at the NCAA Championships to finish 59th as the top runner for MSU on the Gans Creek course in Missouri. He was voted the Big Ten Freshman of the Year by Big Ten Coaches, the first Spartan man to do so since 2011 and only the fifth overall. Thomas will give us some insight into his phenomenal NCAA championship debut, his transition to collegiate life and running, a look inside his training, and what the future holds for him as he competes at the D1 level. Thank you so much for listening to the podcast: please share an episode to help spread the word about Blue Water Running’s mission, which is to feature and celebrate the achievements of high school and collegiate cross country and track/field athletes from our area. You can also subscribe and leave a review. You can find The Blue Water Running Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and other major media players. You can also ask Alexa to play The Blue Water Running Podcast. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, along with athlete and meet reports and photography on the website at bluewaterrunning.org. A subscription to the website with unlimited access to all articles is $5 a month or $50 for the entire year and helps cover the cost of web, podcast, and photography site hosting. Blue Water Running coverage is sponsored in part by Elite Feet of Port Huron and Verlinde Insurance, both located in Richmond, Michigan. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Cameron Gramzow: Season 2 Episode 10 | 21 Apr 2025 | 00:23:00 | |
In this episode, Cameron Gramzow, an Anchor Bay High School junior, joins me to discuss his incredible improvement this year in the shot put and discus. Cameron recently set personal bests in both events this week at the MAC Red meet against Dakota High School: he threw 49’-6” in the shot put and 163’-1” in the discus, and currently tops the Blue Water Area performance list. He also set a new school record in the discus, breaking a 47-year-old mark held by Scott Gostovich at 156’-6” from 1977, and met the EQ mark. Since it was at a duel meet, he’ll have to throw it again, which shouldn’t be a problem: Cameron has been throwing a PR pretty much every meet since the start of the season. Last year, his bests were 40’-5.5” and 143’-9”, so he’s throwing significantly farther than he did as a sophomore. Cameron also trains and competes for club Kaizen Throws, and during the indoor season earned all-state honors by placing seventh in the discus with a throw of 148’-7”, 32 feet farther than last indoor season. We will chat with Cameron about his training, recent performances, and goals for the season, and we will get to know him as an athlete and a person. Thank you so much for listening to the podcast: please share an episode to help spread the word about Blue Water Running’s mission, which is to feature and celebrate the achievements of high school and collegiate cross country and track/field athletes from our area. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, along with athlete and meet reports and photos on the website at bluewaterrunning.org. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| The Dynamic Duo Episode with Sadie Dykstra and Keirra Taube: Season 2 Episode 9 | 08 Apr 2025 | 00:34:49 | |
In this episode, I am joined by two of the most delightful ladies in area track and field: Yale High School’s Sadie Dykstra, a junior, and Keirra Taube, a senior. Not only are they both incredibly talented and accomplished athletes, but they are also humble, hard-working, and hilarious. Sadie is a D2 state champion in the long jump and hurdles, while Keirra is a state indoor champ in the high jump and an outdoor runner-up. Together, this dynamic duo led Yale to a second-place team finish: that’s right, the two of them (plus two more ladies on their 4x400 relay) earned enough points to garnish a runner-up trophy at the state meet. Please share an episode to help spread the word about Blue Water Running’s mission. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, along with athlete and meet reports and photos on the website at bluewaterrunning.org. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| The Anniversary Special with Camden Khon: Season 2 Episode 8 | 28 Mar 2025 | 00:35:56 | |
It’s the first anniversary of The Blue Water Running Podcast! One year, forty episodes, and 3500 downloads later, it’s been an incredible privilege to get to know local athletes and hear many amazing and inspiring stories from the Blue Water Area and beyond. The top two episodes from last year are episode #15 with Matt Armelagos of Michigan XC Speed Ratings, where I heard firsthand from one of the state’s foremost experts on statistics in cross country and track, and the transparent and brave story of Abigail VanderKoi in episode #20, where she shared her journey of recovery and continuing progress in fighting an eating disorder while striving to achieve success in athletics. Thank you so much for listening to the podcast: words can’t express how thankful and blessed I am to have been able to do this for the last year. Please share an episode to help spread the word about Blue Water Running’s mission, which is to feature and celebrate the achievements of high school and collegiate cross country and track/field athletes from our area. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, along with athlete and meet reports and photos on the website at bluewaterrunning.org. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| 2025 BOYS Outdoor Track and Field Season Preview: S2 Ep. 7 | 21 Mar 2025 | 00:32:22 | |
Hello and welcome to The Blue Water Running Podcast! I’m excited about sunshine and warm breezes…ok, probably snow, hail, freezing rain, gusting wind, etc., but I AM excited to get back out watching Blue Water Area athletes achieve amazing things.
Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| 2025 GIRLS Outdoor Track and Field Season Preview: S2 Ep. 6 | 20 Mar 2025 | 00:33:06 | |
Hello and welcome to The Blue Water Running Podcast! I’m excited about sunshine and warm breezes…ok, probably snow, hail, freezing rain, gusting wind, etc., but I AM excited to get back out watching Blue Water Area athletes achieve amazing things. It’s time for the 2025 GIRLS Outdoor Track and Field Season Preview. Over the last few months, I’ve been looking at results from last year’s season to compile the predictions and probable performances for this year’s season. The statistics used to write the season preview include BWAC, MAC, and Catholic High School League results, Blue Water Area meets such as the Marysville Invitational, Muskrat Invitational, Blue Water Meet of Champions, Thumb Meet, and Macomb County Meet, and of course Regional and State Finals qualifying and placements.
Finally, I will miss someone who deserves a nod or mention: with such a large amount of data across a long period, it is inevitable. I cross-check and reference and scour athletic.net repeatedly, but Blue Water Running is just me, I work a full-time job during the day (which includes wrangling some kindergartners) and do this for free, so sometimes, things get missed. I’m human. Also, my apologies if I mispronounce or misspell your name or incorrectly type a time or mark. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Kieran Whitlam: Season 2 Episode 5 | 20 Feb 2025 | 00:29:50 | |
“You got a dream, you gotta protect it." The Pursuit of Happyness Today’s guest is Kieran Whitlam, a senior at Macomb Lutheran North High School and a member of the Inversion Vault Club. Kieran has seen phenomenal growth and success in the pole vault during his career, with his first jumps as a freshman in the mid-8 to 9-foot range moving into the 12s and 13s as a junior outdoors in 2024. Kieran was undefeated his entire junior outdoor season until the state meet, winning the Catholic High School League Championship, the D2-Region 19 Championship, and the Macomb County Championship title (regardless of division), and finished off the fall of 2024 with a 14-footer at the Vault Barn’s Halloween vault. His 2025 indoor season has continued on the same trajectory, with a 14-foot vault to win the LAB Indoor Meet #10 on February 15. Currently ranked third indoors in the state of Michigan, Keiran is a contender for an MITS championship podium finish. Pole Vault is always named by many Blue Water Area athletes and podcast guests as either their favorite field event to watch or one they’ve always wanted to try, so it’s always fun and informative to talk with a vaulter on the pod. Kieran is passionate and dedicated to the craft and sport of vaulting, so he has a lot of great advice and insight to offer during our conversation. The Blue Water Running Podcast features and celebrates the achievements of high school and collegiate cross country and track/field athletes from the Blue Water Area of Michigan. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube. You can also find meet and athlete reports and articles and a recently added merchandise shop at www.bluewaterrunning.org. We are always looking for sponsors and advertisers to partner in our mission to support local coverage of cross country and track and field. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Mike Buslepp, Romeo XC: Season 2 Episode 4 | 31 Jan 2025 | 00:43:07 | |
On the Michigan high school running stage, there was no bigger star in 2024 than Romeo’s girls' team. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Matt Fecht, MCC: Season 2 Episode 3 | 26 Jan 2025 | 00:59:25 | |
In April 2022, The Macomb Community College athletics department hired Matt Fecht as the head men’s and women’s cross country coach. Fecht came from Wayne State University, where he was the assistant coach, and is an accomplished runner. He was a 2002 All-American at MCC and his team placed in the top-10 at the NJCAA championships. He went on to run for Wayne State after competing for MCC. He was a three-time national championship qualifier and an NCAA Division II All-American in 2005, taking 30th place. His 8K and 10K cross country PRs stand at 25:34 and 31:50, respectively. After college, he ran as a sponsored professional runner, qualifying for the Olympic Marathon Trials in 2012, 2016, and 2020, with a marathon PR of 2:17 and a half marathon PR of 1:06. For the high school runners listening, he ran at Warren Mott, where he currently teaches and coaches, and set the school record at that time during his senior year in 16:12. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Lily Lemanski, SC4: Season 2 Episode 2 | 20 Jan 2025 | 00:18:46 | |
On this episode, our guest is Lily Lemanski, a 2024 graduate of Marlette High School. On the track, Lily has tried almost every event, from the 4x100 at the state meet to consistent seasons of long jump and high jump. In both her junior and senior years, Lily was a GTL East Conference champion between the mile with a PR of 5:48 and the 800. A regional runner-up in the 800 both years, her highest finish was 13th at the D4 state meet in 2:30. She didn’t run cross country until her junior year and ended her season with a 20:29 PR. By her senior year, she was regional runner-up and D4 All-State, taking 21st in 19:41. This past fall as a freshman at SC4, Lily set the school record in 19:40. The women’s team was first at the highly competitive MSU Spartan Invite. Second in their conference, three individuals qualified for the national meet, and in 2023 they were eleventh overall as a team at nationals. Lily took 44th in 20:03 at the NJCAA D2 XC Championships. Just this winter, SC4 launched its inaugural track and field season, allowing local athletes to continue their field event or sprint careers as Skippers. Lily will chat with us about her high school career, competing for a community college team, her experiences as an SC4 athlete in the cross country program, and her current and future goals for running. If you enjoyed today’s podcast, please share, subscribe, and leave a review. You can find The Blue Water Running Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and other major media players. You can also ask Alexa to play The Blue Water Running Podcast. If you have an idea for a great topic or guest you’d like to hear about, feel free to contact me through the website links or show notes. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Indoor Track & Field Recap #1: Season 2 Episode 1 | 12 Jan 2025 | 00:14:45 | |
Winter is upon us, and if you aren’t participating in another sport, perhaps you are honing your track and field skills indoors. The Michigan Indoor Track and Field Series kicked off at Grand Valley State University with two meets on Dec. 7 and the weekend of Dec. 13/14. There was another west-side competition at Aquinas and an east-side meet at the Lincoln Athletic Building (known as the LAB facility) on the 14th. There were two more meets at the LAB before Christmas, a pole vault event at the Vault Barn, and since the new year GVSU hosted again, there have been two more meets at the LAB, and this past Saturday, Jan. 11, the first Saginaw Valley University MITS meet took place, along with a meet at Hillsdale College. In this episode, I’ll aggregate results from the high school indoor meets thus far into one report and sum up the results from Dec. 14, 2024, to Jan. 12, 2025. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Brynn Hurley: Season 2, Episode 27 | 18 Nov 2025 | 00:14:44 | |
We've got a very special guest who just wrapped up a monumental freshman cross country season, earning a prestigious national honor. Today, we're talking with Brynn Hurley, a runner for Saint Clair County Community College, better known as the SC4 Skippers. Brynn formerly ran for the Cros-Lex Pioneers, where she qualified for the state meet in cross country all four years of her high school career. During this time, the Pioneers won back-to-back BWAC and regional team titles in 2022 and 2023. She also qualified for the track state meet competition in her junior and senior years in the 4x800 relay, which set the BWAC record (10:02) and school record (9:46) in 2024. Brynn had a PR of 19:56 for cross country coming into college, which she lowered to a 19:02 this season at the NJCAA Region 12 Championships, where she placed fourth and earned All-Region and All-Conference honors. Brynn recently traveled to Fort Dodge, Iowa, and battled through snowy, tough conditions at the NJCAA Division II National Cross Country Championships, finishing 15th overall to secure the title of NJCAA All-American! We're going to dive into the challenges of that snowy national race, the transition from high school to college running, and what it means to be an All-American. Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Thank you so much for listening to the podcast: please share an episode to help spread the word about Blue Water Running’s mission, which is to feature and celebrate the achievements of high school and collegiate cross country and track/field athletes from our area. You can also subscribe and leave a review. You can find The Blue Water Running Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and other major media players. You can also ask Alexa to play The Blue Water Running Podcast. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Episode #33: Top Moments of 2024 | 27 Dec 2024 | 00:34:25 | |
Top Blue Water Running Moments of 2024 Welcome to the final stretch of 2024! As we finish another incredible year of local athletics, I’d like to take a moment to look back on the highlights and achievements of the Blue Water Area and how local athletes have shown us what it means to push limits, break barriers, and strive for greatness. I'm your host, Meran, and this is episode #33 of The Blue Water Running Podcast. In this special year-end episode, we'll spotlight the standout performances, record-breaking moments, and inspiring stories from cross country and track and field in our community this year. So, lace up your shoes, prepare to sprint into the new year, and join me as we celebrate the best of Blue Water Running from 2024. As we head into the new year, I’m so excited to see what's in store for our local athletes. Keep dreaming, keep working, and I will see you out there soon. Here’s a quote from Amby Burfoot, the Boston Marathon winner in 1968 and the editor-in-chief of Runner’s World for many years. “Running has taught me, perhaps more than anything else, that there's no reason to fear starting lines... or any other new beginnings”. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Episode #32: Max Whittredge (SC4 Men's XC/Track Coach) | 12 Dec 2024 | 00:44:33 | |
We have a BOGO special for this week's podcast: on episode #31 is Andrea Rheaume, who serves as the head women’s cross country and track coach for St. Clair Community College, known as SC4, then on episode #32 Coach Max Whittredge will focus on the men’s program. With Andrea and Max at the helm, the Skippers have seen incredible success and growth in their program over the last several years. The women’s team was first at the highly competitive MSU Spartan Invite and second in their conference, sending three individuals to the national meet, and in 2023 they were eleventh overall as a team at nationals. The men’s team placed in the top ten at the National Junior College Athletic Association’s (NJCAA) DII Men's Cross Country Championship in 2022, making school history. This year, they were second in the junior college division at the Spartan Invitational, second in their conference, and twelfth in the nation. Both programs saw school records set in the last two seasons, with the men’s record set last year at 25:35 by Glen Davis (PHN), who was named the Michigan Community College Athletic Association’s (MCCAA) Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Week twice, and also awarded the U.S. Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Athlete Award of the Week - the first athlete from St. Clair County to do so for cross country. The women’s cross country record was set this year by Lily Lemanski (Marlette) at 19:40. In the spring, SC4 will launch its inaugural season of track and field, giving local athletes the chance to also continue their field event or sprint careers as a Skipper. Both coaches will give us some insight into the growth and vision of the programs, the benefits of running for a community college team, and what experiences students can expect as an SC4 athlete in the cross country or track program. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Episode #31: Andrea Rheaume (SC4 Women's XC/Track Coach) | 12 Dec 2024 | 00:39:13 | |
Hello and welcome to The Blue Water Running Podcast! I’m your host, Meran, and this podcast features and celebrates the achievements of high school and collegiate cross country and track/field athletes from the Blue Water Area of Michigan. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube. You can also find meet and athlete reports/articles and a recently added merchandise shop at www.bluewaterrunning.org. We have a BOGO special for this week's podcast: on episode #31 is Andrea Rheaume, who serves as the head women’s cross country and track coach for St. Clair Community College, known as SC4, then on episode #32 Coach Max Whittredge will focus on the men’s program. With Andrea and Max at the helm, the Skippers have seen incredible success and growth in their program over the last several years. The women’s team was first at the highly competitive MSU Spartan Invite and second in their conference, sending three individuals to the national meet, and in 2023 they were eleventh overall as a team at nationals. The men’s team placed in the top ten at the National Junior College Athletic Association’s (NJCAA) DII Men's Cross Country Championship in 2022, making school history. This year, they were second in the junior college division at the Spartan Invitational, second in their conference, and twelfth in the nation. Both programs saw school records set in the last two seasons, with the men’s record set last year at 25:35 by Glen Davis (PHN), who was named the Michigan Community College Athletic Association’s (MCCAA) Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Week twice, and also awarded the U.S. Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Athlete Award of the Week - the first athlete from St. Clair County to do so for cross country. The women’s cross country record was set this year by Lily Lemanski (Marlette) at 19:40. In the spring, SC4 will launch its inaugural season of track and field, giving local athletes the chance to also continue their field event or sprint careers as a Skipper. Both coaches will give us some insight into the growth and vision of the programs, the benefits of running for a community college team, and what experiences students can expect as an SC4 athlete in the cross country or track program. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Episode #30: Noah Verlinde | 03 Dec 2024 | 00:50:07 | |
“I’m not defined by any particular result I could ever achieve, but more so am proud of the work I put in and the attitude that I had going in trying to achieve those goals, and whether or not I was able to bring people along the way to help them as I go up as well. That’s a universal lesson and probably the greatest lesson running has given me.” On November 23, the Division 2 cross country national meet was held at Haggin Oaks Golf Complex in Sacramento, California. Saginaw Valley State University’s men’s cross country team earned an at-large bid to compete and finished 17th, one of SVSU’s highest finishes at this event. Noah Verlinde, a senior, finished the race as the sixth man for the Cardinals in his 10K personal best of 32:41. A 2020 graduate of Armada High School and former Blue Water Area Conference athlete, he won two of the three BWAC cross country jamborees his senior year, qualified for the Division 2 MHSAA state finals all four years of his high school career, and narrowly missed all-state as a 12th grader, finishing 32nd. Noah has 5K PRs of 16:22 for high school and 14:31 collegiately, and an 8K PR of 25:08. He joins us on this episode to talk about his first trip to D2 Nationals, his experiences during collegiate training and racing, and other insights about the sport, its challenges, and how to keep a good perspective on balancing life as a runner. Definitely stay for the whole conversation, as Noah has a lot of great advice to share. Once again, thank you so much for tuning into today’s Blue Water Running podcast. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share, subscribe, and leave a review. The Blue Water Running Podcast is on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and other major media players. You can also ask Alexa to play The Blue Water Running Podcast. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Episode #29: The Me-Ran Miles Story | 17 Nov 2024 | 00:33:32 | |
When the cross country season ends, many athletes feel excitement, pride, satisfaction, confidence, or a sense of accomplishment. For many others, though, the reality is not so positive: they might feel disappointment, inadequacy, relief that they are done racing, or sadly even a sense of failure. Perhaps their season didn’t live up to their expectations: they couldn’t run due to an injury or illness, they didn’t get faster, they didn’t run what they had previously in their career, they didn’t get that PR, they didn’t get all-league, region, all-state, etc. Whatever they were chasing didn’t happen. I can speak from personal experience that the end of the season is NOT always a celebration for many athletes; in fact, many leave with unmet expectations, unrealized goals and dreams, and might even feel full of regret. It seems to be an unspoken rule that you should get faster and always see continual and linear progression, but that is not always realistic. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Episode #28: The Wessel Sisters - Alannah and Faith | 25 Oct 2024 | 00:23:03 | |
This episode features the Wessel sisters, Alannah and Faith, who run for the Macomb Athletic Club for Homeschoolers (MACH). Alannah is a freshman and Faith is a sophomore and both have had a very successful and consistent cross country season thus far in 2024. Alannah claimed five invitational wins this fall with a PR of 19:07 and was the only freshman to earn All-County honors at the Macomb County Championships. She also has a mile indoor personal best of 5:36 as an eighth-grader. Faith has dropped almost a minute off her season’s best from 2023, running a PR of 20:09 and finishing right behind her sister for runner-up honors at the Dakota Carnival of Races. Both girls have a unique perspective on training and racing, as their schedules are individualized: they are not constrained by the hours of a typical school day. Since they do not compete for a public or private school team with a school coach under the MHSAA governing body, they are not eligible to compete at regionals or the state finals. We will chat with Alannah and Faith, hear about what learning and training look like from their perspectives, and learn some new things about both girls as athletes and people. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Episode #27: Samantha Whitlam | 16 Oct 2024 | 00:12:15 | |
This episode features cross country sophomore Samantha Whitlam of Macomb Lutheran North. Sam recently broke her record in a big way at the Macomb County Championships, running her first sub-20 5K in 19:46 to finish 17th to earn All-County honors while leading her team to a D2/3/4 small team championship trophy. She has made steady improvement all season and did the same in track last spring, finishing second at regionals in the 800 and competing at the state meet, running a 2:21. She also has a best of 5:36 in the 1600. She’s currently ranked second in Region 17, and Lutheran North is in a close statistical match-up for the team title with St. Clair, with the two teams separated by 3 hypothetical points. Once again, thank you so much for tuning into today’s Blue Water Running podcast. I can’t wait to feature more cross country and track and field athletes from the Blue Water Area…stay tuned because it might just be YOU! Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Episode #26: Joshua Macri | 16 Oct 2024 | 00:16:38 | |
This episode features sophomore Josh Macri of Macomb Lutheran North. Josh has been tearing up the grass this season and has made significant time improvements. He came into the 2024 cross country season with a personal best of 17:49 from his freshman season last year. He began this year with a statement, finishing second at the Lamplighter Invite in 16:32, and has since dropped his PR to 16:12. He won several invitationals, including The Lake St. Clair Earlybird Invitational, the Algonac Muskrat Classic, the Autumn Classic Invite, the Dakota Carnival of Races, and the Catholic High School League Jamboree, and has been runner-up at quite a few more. He was recently named to the Macomb All-County team for his seventh-place finish at the county championships in 16:29, leading his team to the small-school D2/3/4 division trophy. To put Josh’s improvement into perspective, he finished 74th there in 18:37 last year. He is currently ranked first in D2 Region 17 by a solid 45 seconds. To top off the incredible season he’s having, he also plays soccer in addition to running cross country. We will chat with Josh about his season so far, the challenges of dual-sporting, his factors for success and goals moving forward, and get to know him personally as an athlete. Take Josh's dad's advice: "Play YOUR game." Once again, thank you so much for tuning into today’s Blue Water Running podcast. I can’t wait to feature more cross country and track and field athletes from the Blue Water Area…stay tuned because it might just be YOU! Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Episode #25: Cara Prusakiewicz | 30 Sep 2024 | 00:15:48 | |
This episode features cross country junior Cara Prusakiewicz of Dryden High School, the first Cardinal runner on the pod. Cara recently broke her school record at the Holly Festival of Races, taking ninth place in 20:56, her best on a hilly and technical course. Cara didn’t see sub-21 minutes last year until her final race when she ran a 20:59 at Shepherd during the Meet of Champions, so she’s already ahead of that time mid-season. Cara first set the Dryden High School cross country record at last year’s D4 state finals in 21:00, breaking the former record of 21:01, set by Ella Kage in 2019. In the Michigan XC Speed Ratings’ mid-season regional projections, Cara is currently ranked third individually in region 35; she was ranked ninth in the pre-season preview. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Episode #24: Amanda Maltese | 29 Sep 2024 | 00:29:49 | |
Eat enough calories. Eat healthy food. Eat at the right times. Stay hydrated. Choose the right drinks and snacks. Consume enough carbs and protein. The advice and options can be overwhelming when trying to properly fuel your body for athletic training. Thankfully, we have a nutrition expert here today to help us sort it all out and give us practical and applicable advice for daily dining. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Xavier Roman: Season 2, Episode 26 | 21 Oct 2025 | 00:23:42 | |
Our episode guest is Xavier Roman, a senior at Macomb Lutheran North High School. Xavier has qualified for the state meet every year of his career and ran his PR of 16:18 early in the season on August 29 at the Golden Grizzlies Invite. After a meet the following week, he didn’t race for almost a full month due to illness and injury, but despite that, he came back at the Macomb County Meet to take 15th and earn All-County status, which was his highest finish at that race in his career, helping his team win the small schools division trophy. Xavier was a large part of the Lutheran North cross country regional championship last fall, finishing as the individual runner-up, which they hope to repeat this upcoming Saturday. As the Mustangs like to say, “One team, One fight”. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, along with athlete and meet reports and photography on the website at bluewaterrunning.org. A subscription to the website with unlimited access to all articles is $5 a month or $50 for the entire year, and helps cover the cost of web, podcast, and photography site hosting fees. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Episode #23: Greg Vogt | 24 Sep 2024 | 00:22:21 | |
This episode features cross country senior Greg Vogt of New Baltimore Anchor Bay. Greg recently finished as the individual runner-up on his home course, taking second place in the James Cleverley Friday Night Invite in a new PR of 16:32. He wasn’t seeing the 16s until near the end of October last year and his fastest ever was a 16:46, so the fall is shaping up to be his best season yet. Considering he started his freshman year off running in the mid-twenties with best then of 19:53, he’s seen significant improvement over his high school career. He also set PRs on the track last spring, running 9:49 in the 3200 and 4:39 in the 1600. Greg was part of the Anchor Bay team last fall that qualified for D1 states for the first time since 1977. Currently, he sits in the number two spot on the Blue Water Area’s top cross country times performance list. We will chat with Greg about his season, goals, and training and get to know him personally as an athlete. If you're wondering about the movie Greg mentions in this episode, it's called "Tyson's Run". Once again, thank you so much for tuning into today’s Blue Water Running podcast. I can’t wait to feature more cross country and track and field athletes from the Blue Water Area…stay tuned because it might just be YOU! Coverage on Blue Water Running is being sponsored by Elite Feet of Port Huron. If you need running shoes, spikes, or apparel, they have a friendly and knowledgeable staff to help you find the right fit and they are big fans of running, too. They are located at 327 Huron Ave in downtown Port Huron. If you are interested in sponsoring coverage or partnering with Blue Water Running as an advertiser to reach and support local runners, please reach out via our website, show notes, or social media channels. If you enjoyed today’s podcast, please share, subscribe, and leave a review. You can find The Blue Water Running Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and other major media players. You can also ask your smart speaker to play The Blue Water Running Podcast. If you have an idea for a great topic or guest you’d like to hear about, feel free to contact me through the website links or show notes. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube and find meet and athlete reports and articles at www.bluewaterrunning.org. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Episode #22: Julian Walker | 15 Sep 2024 | 00:20:05 | |
This episode features the first guest athlete from Algonac, junior Julian Walker. Julian recently won the first Blue Water Area Conference cross country league jamboree in 17:23 on Sept. 10 and the Skippers Cross Country Showcase on August 30. He ran his season record of 17:22 during his season opener at the Mariner Invitational and recently earned a medal in the Divison 3 and 4 race at the MSU Spartan Invitational on Sept. 13, which is one of the biggest cross country events in the state. Julian has a career PR of 16:48 and a season record last year of 16:51, run at the MHSAA state finals, where he finished 52nd. We will chat about his season so far, his goals and training, and get to know him personally as an athlete in The Blue Water Area. "When you think that you are done, you're only 40% into what your body's capable of doing."- David Goggins. Once again, thank you so much for tuning into today’s Blue Water Running podcast. I can’t wait to feature more cross country and track and field athletes from the Blue Water Area…stay tuned because it might just be YOU! Coverage on Blue Water Running is being sponsored by Elite Feet of Port Huron. If you need running shoes, spikes, or apparel, they have a friendly and knowledgeable staff to help you find the right fit and they are big fans of running, too. They are located at 327 Huron Ave in downtown Port Huron. If you are interested in sponsoring coverage or partnering with Blue Water Running as an advertiser to reach and support local runners, please reach out via our website, show notes, or social media channels. If you enjoyed today’s podcast, please share, subscribe, and leave a review. You can find The Blue Water Running Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and other major media players. You can also ask Alexa to play The Blue Water Running Podcast. If you have an idea for a great topic or guest you’d like to hear about, feel free to contact me through the website links or show notes. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube. You can also find meet and athlete reports and articles at www.bluewaterrunning.org. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Episode #21: Dr. Kyle Casadei | 31 Aug 2024 | 00:23:11 | |
According to The National Institute of Health, running is one of the most popular leisure sports. Unfortunately, according to statistics compiled by Yale Medicine, “At least 50 percent of regular runners get hurt each year—some estimates put the percentage even higher—sometimes from trauma, such as a fall, but more often from overuse.” The NIH goes on to state that “50 to 75% of all running injuries appear to be overuse injuries due to the constant repetition of the same movement. The prevention of sports injuries should focus on changes of behavior through health education. Health education on running injuries should primarily focus on the importance of complete rehabilitation and the early recognition of symptoms of overuse, and the provision of training guidelines.” We are fortunate to have a guest today who is very knowledgeable in all these aspects. https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/running-injury https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1439399/ In episode #21, we will chat with Dr. Kyle A. Casadei, a non-surgical orthopedic and sports medicine specialist at the Center for Advanced Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. He received his medical degree from Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his residency in family medicine at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital, where he served as Chief Resident and was named Resident of the Year by the Michigan Association of Osteopathic Family Physicians. “If you fail to prepare, you’re prepared to fail.” Mark Spitz, a nine-time Olympic champion in swimming, was the most successful athlete at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, winning seven gold medals, each in world-record time. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Episode #20: Abigail VanderKooi | 13 Aug 2024 | 00:55:36 | |
Our guest is Abby VanderKooi, an incredibly accomplished runner, and a recovered survivor of an eating disorder. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, “An estimated 9% of the U.S. population, or 28.8 million Americans, will have an eating disorder in their lifetime. 10,200 deaths each year are the direct result of an eating disorder—that’s one death every 52 minutes.” https://anad.org/eating-disorder-statistic/ Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| 2024 Blue Water Area XC Season Preview | 12 Aug 2024 | 00:24:46 | |
August 12, 2024, is the official MHSAA start date for high school sports practices...so it’s time for the 2024 Blue Water Area Cross Country Preview! You can read the full article on the website with a lot more explanation/details, more athlete names, and quotes from coaches and such, but for those of you who would rather listen, I’ll give a brief rundown of the local teams and some specific athletes to keep an eye on. The preview is based on last year's season performances, so I use what I know from the fall and also go through athletic.net to gather information. I also sent out a survey to all the area coaches and placed it on the webpage, so whoever responds has their quotes and info added to the preview, too, which is why some teams’ writeups are significantly longer than others (if your coach had more to say). Blue Water Running covers Algonac, Almont, Anchor Bay, Armada, Austin Catholic, Capac, Cros-Lex, Dryden, Imlay City, Kimball New Life Christian, Kimball Landmark Academy, Macomb Lutheran North, Marine City, Marine City Cardinal Mooney, Marysville, Memphis, Michigan Athletic Club for Homeschoolers, New Haven, Port Huron High, Port Huron Northern, North Branch, Richmond, Saint Clair, Yale, and the two surrounding community colleges, which include SC4 and Macomb Community College. Remember, this is just one perspective of potential outcomes for the season. Obviously, it’s not a perfect prediction or any kind of expectation, it’s just a summary of what the season might hold and helps coaches, athletes, and fans of the sport keep up to date on area teams and what the 2024 season is shaping up to be. For the sake of time, I tried to focus in the podcast on one athlete per gender and school, but as I mentioned, you can read more in-depth in the full article on the website. Also, my apologies if I mispronounce your name. So without further ado, let’s get into it! I’ll be kicking off the season on Thursday, August 22 at the Mike Jackson Invitational in Cros-Lex, and Friday, August 23 at the Mariner Invitational at Columbus Park. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Episode #18: Kenzie Shell Beukes | 28 Jul 2024 | 00:40:32 | |
Imagine this: you're standing in the middle of Hayward Field in Eugene Oregon, looking out at the crowd as you get ready to fulfill one of your greatest goals and dreams: competing for a spot on Team USA at the Olympic Track and Field Trials. Oh, and you’re also going to fling yourself almost two stories in the air using a thin pole. Our guest on today’s episode has done all of those things! I’ll leave you with this quote by Stacy Dragila, the first woman to win Olympic Pole Vault Gold when the event debuted in the 2000 Olympics in a vault of 15-1. The world record is currently 16-7. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Episode #17 x 2: St. Clair & Yale. | 27 Jul 2024 | 00:33:25 | |
This episode #17x2 is a bit different from our regular format. The eagerly anticipated Region 17 preview from Michigan XC Speed Ratings came out this week, and it has St. Clair and Yale once again at the forefront of the regional projections. This local matchup never disappoints and features some of the Blue Water Area’s fastest runners each year. Both programs have a long tradition of excellence and building talent: in fact, St. Clair holds the D2 state record for the longest continuous streak of qualifiers, taking a team to the state finals every year since 2000. Yale has done the same for the better part of the last decade. In a close race last fall, Yale came out on top 37-46 at the 2023 D2 regional meet. The Bulldogs went 2, 3, 4, 11, and 17 for their top 5 with a team spread of 1:51, while the Saints went 5, 7, 9, 10, and 15 with a team spread of 1:01. Yale graduated their top 3 runners; St. Clair their top #1 and #4. As you can see, it’s shaping up to be another great rivalry. Jerry Westrick: “Float like a Cadillac, Sting like a Beemer” - Doc Hudson Ted Rutkofske: "Get out there and show them what you guys can do." Coach Jared Shutko Wyatt Murtos: "No one starts at the top; you have to work your way up." Muhammad Ali Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Episode #16: Hannah Fisher | 26 Jul 2024 | 00:25:41 | |
On this episode, we will be chatting with Hannah Fisher, a 2022 Marysville High School graduate and a current member of the Golden Grizzlies' track and field squad at Oakland University. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Episode #15: Matt Armelagos of MI XC Speed Ratings | 17 Jul 2024 | 00:52:34 | |
In this episode, we have an extra-special guest on the podcast: the man, the myth, the legend, Matt Armelagos, who is the analytics genius behind Michigan Cross Country Speed Ratings. According to his website, Matt looks at cross country and track from a numerical perspective, calculating rankings and standings. In essence, speed ratings are a figure to see how fast an athlete ran on that course on that day. During the season, an athlete can judge themselves from week to week on how they compare against others, and a coach can look to see if there’s improvement, or in the off-season, take a second look at how an athlete responded to training. Another planned outcome of the speed ratings was that college coaches could hopefully use these in accordance with track times to find recruits that wouldn’t normally be on their radar. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Episode #14: Thomas Westphal | 09 Jun 2024 | 00:43:20 | |
In this episode, we will hear from Thomas Westphal, a now-graduated senior at New Baltimore Anchor Bay High School. The long list of accolades Thomas Westphal has accrued during the latter half of his high school running career is quite significant: Division 1 Cross Country State Runner-Up, Runner-Up in the 1600, State Champ in the 3200 - run just recently on June 1 - multiple all-state finishes and regional/league/county titles in cross country and track, invitational meet and school records, sub-15 minute 5K times, and more. This past fall, Thomas won the Footlocker Midwest Regional at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside on Nov. 25 in 14:59.2, earning a trip to the Footlocker Cross Country National Championships on Dec. 9 in San Diego, California, where he had the opportunity to toe the line with some of the best high school runners in the country. He has personal bests of 51.99 in the 400, 1:51 in the 800, 4:06 in the 1600, and 8:55 in the 3200, which he ran all alone at the Davison Twilight Invitational, lapping most of the field and setting the meet and facility record. Thomas is also committed to an NCAA D1 program at Michigan State University to continue running at the collegiate level. These amazing achievements are in stark contrast to his debut as a runner. At his first cross country race as a freshman, Thomas finished in 22:03. He has an amazing story of how he overcame injuries and obstacles to chase dreams with determination, hard work, guts, and grit and become the most successful runner in Anchor Bay history and one of the best in the state. Until next time, I’ll leave you with this quote by Jakob Ingebrigtsen, a Norwegian middle- and long-distance runner. At age 16, Ingebrigtsen became the youngest man in history to run a mile in less than four minutes. Ingebrigtsen is the current world record holder for the indoor 1500 meters and holds the world's best time in the two-mile. Ingebrigtsen is a two-time World champion, winning gold medals in the 5000 meters in 2022 and 2023. He also won a gold medal in the 1500 meters at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, setting an Olympic and European record. He is one of only three men to run a sub-3:30 1500, a sub-7:30 3000, and a sub-12:50 5000 meters. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Max Durham: Season 2, Episode 25 | 30 Sep 2025 | 00:25:18 | |
"Doing the hard work is always easier than the regret you have later." Our episode guest is Maxwell Durham, a senior at New Haven High School. Max has seen significant, steady growth as a runner over the years, starting at 27 minutes for a 5K as a freshman to a 19:51 as a sophomore, 18:16 as a junior, to his PR of 16:58 this season at the Autumn Classic, where he ran 16:58. Max just won the MAC Blue Jamboree in a time of 17:29. Max is our first guest from New Haven High School, so we will get to know him as a Blue Water Area athlete. Thank you so much for listening to the podcast: please share an episode to help spread the word about Blue Water Running’s mission, which is to feature and celebrate the achievements of high school and collegiate cross country and track/field athletes from our area. You can also subscribe and leave a review. You can find The Blue Water Running Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and other major media players. You can also ask Alexa to play The Blue Water Running Podcast. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, along with athlete and meet reports and photography on the website at bluewaterrunning.org. Coverage of Blue Water Running is sponsored in part by Elite Feet of Port Huron. If you need running shoes, spikes, or apparel, they have a friendly and knowledgeable staff to help you find the right fit and have spent years supporting local athletes in the Blue Water Area. They are located at 327 Huron Ave in downtown Port Huron. Verlinde Insurance, located in Richmond, Michigan, is a new supporter of coverage on Blue Water Running. Training as an athlete teaches you resilience and preparation. Apply those lessons to your life with their insurance plans. Be ready for anything with them by your side. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Episode #13: Sadie Dykstra | 04 Jun 2024 | 00:43:34 | |
In this episode, we will talk with Sadie Dykstra, a sophomore at Yale High School. Sadie burst onto the high school track and field scene last year, making a statement by earning Division 2 All-State status in the long jump and 100/300-meter hurdles as a freshman. She returned her sophomore year undefeated the entire regular season in all four events, winning four BWAC and regional titles. Ranked as a state favorite, she lived up to the hype: at the 2024 Division 2 state finals on Saturday, June 1, Sadie won the long jump in 18 feet, 0.5 inches, the 300 hurdles in a time of 45 seconds flat, was second in the 100 hurdles in 15.19, and anchored her 4x400 relay to fifth place in 4:06.99, helping Yale earn a second-place team finish with 39 points. Sadie is also an accomplished volleyball and basketball player, playing on the varsity teams since ninth grade and earning multiple accolades in those sports as well, including BWAC All-League and MVP. We’ll hear from Sadie about her training, goals, reflections on the recent state finals, and what she is looking forward to next season and beyond. She has a great mindset and her favorite quote is from Yoda: "Do or Do Not. There is no TRY". Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Episode #12: Kai Fisher | 29 May 2024 | 00:17:20 | |
In this episode, we will talk with our first freshman guest, Kai Fisher of Memphis High School. Kai has personal bests of 10.96 seconds in the 100, 22.91 in the 200, and 53.05 in the 400, and high jumping 6 feet as an eighth grader. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Episode #11: Grace Clemens | 27 May 2024 | 00:24:20 | |
In this episode, we will talk with senior Grace Clemens of North Branch High School. Grace is an incredibly accomplished sprinter. This spring, she was named the Blue Water Area Conference MVP, winning the 100, 200, 400, and the 4x100, making her a perfect four-for-four. She recently won the 100, 200, and 400, and was runner-up in the long jump at the Blue Water Meet of Champions, taking MVP honors there as well. She also broke the 60-second barrier in the 400 in that meet for the first time, running 59.96 seconds. She has a 100-meter best of 12.31, a 200-meter best of 25.54, and her 4x100 relay set the school record at the Davison Twilight Invitational, running 51.06. Grace has been undefeated in the 100 and 400-meter dash the entire outdoor season and only has one second-place finish in the 200: all the rest of her season results were first-place finishes. She’s never lost a 4x200 relay event and has finished first or second in every long jump competition she’s entered outdoors this year. Grace was regional champion in the 100, 200, and 4x100 relay, and runner-up in the long jump and will compete at the Division 2 finals in these four events. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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| Episode #10: Morgan Newton | 22 May 2024 | 00:20:03 | |
This episode features senior Morgan Newton of Croswell-Lexington High School. On May 18, Morgan qualified at regionals for the Division 2 state finals in the 800 meters, taking third in 2:22.74. Morgan has been incredibly consistent in the 800-meter run and has won the Blue Water Area Conference title in this event every year since she was a sophomore. She is an integral part of her team’s 4x800 relay, which broke the BWAC record this year in 10:02 and placed third at regionals, qualifying for the state meet and breaking the Cros-Lex school record in 9:46. She’s a versatile track runner: she’s run 5:30s in the 1600 consistently and has raced everything from the 400 to the 3200. We’ll hear from Morgan about her training, goals, reflections on her high school career, and what she is looking forward to after graduation and beyond. If you enjoyed today’s podcast, please share, subscribe, and leave a review. You can find The Blue Water Running Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and other major media players. If you have an idea for a great topic or guest you’d like to hear about, feel free to contact me through the website links or show notes. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube. You can also find meet and athlete reports and articles at www.bluewaterrunning.org. Send Blue Water Running a Message https://www.bluewaterrunning.org/
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